City 129
by JordanHavoc
Summary: City 129 follows the story of Joshua Parker, a member of the Resistance. Since the story does not take place in City 17, don't expect any connections to the events of Half-Life 2. The only character from the game who will make an appearance is Dr. Breen
1. The First Letter

_Authors Note: Sorry the first chapter doesn't really have anything but backstory in it. It truly begins in The Second Letter, so just bear with it._

**City 129**

Dear Reader,

I pray to God that whoever is reading this journal lives in a better world. A safer world. A free world.

I also hope that you have no idea what I'm talking about when I say the world was once not free. But the point of this journal is to inform the world of the terrors of the past, so if you didn't know prior to this, you're about to. Once again, I really, really hope that this all seems like a work of fiction to you.

The Earth is presently ruled by a race of aliens called the Combine. Their goal: make the human race cease to exist. But they didn't arrange our execution through means of violence. Yes, they are harsh to people who break their extremely strict laws, but they don't kill us unless we're an extreme nuisance to them. I think they did this because they wanted to give the illusion that they were our friends. The ambassador for the humans, Dr. Breen, is always telling us that the Combine were here to help us be "free from instinct" or whatever.

But the Combine aren't our friends. Not even close. They have the Earth encased in what is referred to as a suppression field. The field makes all human beings sterile on Earth. Reproduction is impossible. I am possibly part of the last generation of the human race to ever exist. They claim they'll erase the suppression field once we "prove that we don't need it", they'll remove the field. But I highly doubt that's going to happen. And trust me, not having children around makes the world a depressing place. Every time I walk passed what used to be a playground, I feel as if I could cry. It's not uncommon to see a couple crying together over the fact that they can't become parents.

The Combine also took out as many human aspects from our planet as possible. Our cities don't even have names anymore. For example, the city I live in is called City 129. And it's extremely hard to get your hands on any food or water that isn't supplied by the Combine. But it's a must. They have chemicals in most all their consumable products that remove and replace a person's memories to make them forget why they hate the Combine.

None of us know what our lovely new rulers look like, either. The Combine do their dirty work through soldiers that are fellow human beings. I'm not sure whether they do it voluntarily or by force, although the latter is much more plausible. Once a human is chosen to be a Combine soldier, it is said that they are implanted with mechanical devices in their throat and abdomen, have their memories wiped and replaced, get their genitalia removed, and undergo extensive chest and head surgery. The results are the mask-wearing freaks that rule over the entire planet. Each soldier is either put in the Civil Protection, which functions like a local police officer, or they are placed in the Combine Overwatch, which is more like the military.

With the world in the state it's in, there are really only three types of people. There are the citizens, who live about their day to day lives with false hopes that doing as they're expected to will result in the removal of the suppression field. There are the people who actually agree with the Combine's ideals and respect them.

And lastly, there are people like myself. The rebels. The people of The Uprising. Our overall goal is to overthrow the Combine and remove both them and Dr. Breen from power. The Resistance was filled with people who believed that there was no point in just doing nothing while waiting for the last generation of human beings to end. We in the Resistance do everything we can, both big and small, to fight against the Combine rule. Here in City 129, there were major wins, and there were major losses. The letters I have written document these all, starting with the day the Resistance first gained recognition in 129.

Yours truly,

Joshua Parker


	2. The Second Letter

_Authors Notes: I'm actually pretty proud of the way this chapter turned out~ I hope you like it, too.  
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Dear reader,

_For the people of Earth, whether it was internal or external, big or small, every day was some form of battle against the Combine. And with every loss, came a sense of hopelessness, but with every victory, a vast amount of hope came to the individual, as it meant that the Combine weren't invincible._

"Our benefactors are here to save us. They wish to free us from ignorance and instinct…"

I rolled my eyes at the face on the large screen talking to everybody in the city. Well, not just City 129, actually. These pro-Combine lectures were broadcast in every city in the world. There wasn't a human alive who didn't recognize the white haired, bearded, and green eyed elderly man that was Doctor Wallace Breen. The biggest traitor in the human race.

Although, admittedly, if it weren't for Breen, everybody on Earth would be long dead. If he hadn't arranged Earth's surrender to the Combine, we would have been totally wiped out in the Seven Hour War. The Combine were so pleased with his actions that they made him the so-called "Administrator of Earth". Rumor has it that he speaks directly to the highest ranking Combine beings and acts upon their wishes. But savior or not, everybody in the Resistance hated Doctor Breen's guts.

I ignored the annoying "Breencast" and continued on my way to the apartment building in which I lived. I was carrying a paper grocery bag of illegal food that I had received from a fellow member of the Resistance.

You know the state you live in is sad when you get nervous just by bringing food home. Every single time I got anywhere near one of the Civil Protection officers I felt my heart beat ten times faster. And boy were they hard to avoid. Every nook and cranny of the moderately large City 129 seemed to contain some CPs. They even had some on top of buildings of ten floors or more armed with stun sniper rifles in case we do anything they don't like. A simple walk home was a dangerous thing indeed with the Combine around.

As I passed through the series of brick alleys that lead to my apartment building, I noticed that a couple of CPs were taking interest in something up ahead. I continued down the ridiculously shabby alley, stopping just before I got to the point where the Combine were turning into a different alley. One that I knew was merely a dead end.

Very slowly and carefully, I peered around the corner. I didn't have time to see what was going on, however, because one of the CPs started to turn towards me. Quickly, I brought my head around the corner and turned to start walking a different way. I cursed inwardly as I came face to face with a small flying robot about the size of a human head equipped with a single eye that functioned as a camera. It took a picture of me, letting off a flash that proved noticeable even in the mid-afternoon.

Apparently seeing the flash, one of the Combine walked around the corner to find me. I whipped around quickly to face him.

"What seems to be the problem?" the soldier asked me, his hand on his nightstick-like weapon.

I shook my head. "Nothing," I told him casually. "I'm just heading on home."

"This path is blocked off for now," The Civil Protection officer informed me.

"Why?" I asked, casually peering around the corner. I gasped at what I saw: A man lying on the floor, clearly quite dead. There were several wounds in his head that were obviously caused by one of the officers' weapons.

The CP put his hand in front of my face. "There's nothing to see here," He lied. "That man was part of the Resistance. He tried to assault us. A pathetic trait humans seem to have. They act out of anger far too easily. We fought only in self defense. Just get going."

I didn't recognize that man at all, which meant he was probably not in the Resistance. But I wasn't about to tell the Combine that. "But he's wearing his blue jumpsuit like all civilians do. What makes you so sure he's a member of the Resistance?"

I was subsequently kneed in the stomach. I guess he didn't like the question I asked him. I doubled over, nearly dropping my grocery bag, which I just managed to catch.

"Don't mettle in the affairs of Civil Protection."

I glared into the eyes of his hideous grey mask. I was torn between the decision to leave things be and the decision to fight. It felt like a lose-lose situation. If I were to just leave it be, I would be giving the Combine what they wanted. However, if I were to act and fight them, I would just be proving them right about the behavior of humans.

"Get going," He repeated, kneeing me in the stomach again. I doubled over, this time dropping the grocery bag and letting its contents spill onto the dirt beneath us. The officer glanced down at the contents and then immediately brought his weapon down on my back, sending a small jolt of electricity down my spine. I collapsed to the floor, completely unable to move, or even think, for about fifteen seconds. I was happy that the jolt the series of kicks delivered to my sides.

After I recovered my senses, I stood back up. "That was my dinner," I told him casually. "Are you gonna pay for that, or what?" I received a smack across the face from the weapon.

"Is that all the 'great Combine' have?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "Come on, my girlfriend has slapped me harder than that." The CP reached for his 9mm sidearm.

"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" I asked him. "How would that look in front of your audience?" The Combine noticed the crowd of people who had gathered at either end of the alley, as well as the people who were poking their heads out from the windows of their apartments. "I thought you guys only killed people who were threats to you. I'm just going home to eat."

The Combine put his sidearm back and began to leave the alley. His fellow CPs followed him. On the way out, one of the loose bricks from the crappily built buildings fell off and hit the officer who had started the whole mess on the head.

I chuckled to myself as I gathered the food that was salvageable and put it back in the bag. The citizens who saw what had just occurred erupted in applause. I smiled in satisfaction as I began walking out of the alley and towards my house. Before I got too far, I got the idea to check the corpse for an ID. I found a man, probably in his thirties, gazing up at me with empty eyes. I closed his eyes out of respect and reached into a pocket, quickly finding his ID card.

"Geoffrey Kelland" It read. I took out a small coin and pressed it against his picture on the ID. If he were in the Resistance, the coin would have changed from silver to orange in color. I shook my head and punched the wall in anger. I really hated the Combine. Once I was done in the alleyway, I stood up and started heading on home once more.

"That was awesome, Parker," Somebody said, patting me on the back.

I looked to my right to see my friend Leon standing next to me. Leon had spiky, messy, golden-blonde hair and eyes that reminded me of the color of a natural tree at the peak of its health. Like anyone who had half a brain, he wore his blue jumpsuit-like outfit.

"Thanks," I replied. "But it's nothing, really."

Leon shook his head. "That's not true and you know it!" Leon replied. He looked up at the sky and smiled slightly. "Your little displays of courage really give hope to everyone here in City 129. I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to get to the Combine. You're a real irritation to them. It's a bit shocking that you haven't been put to death yet."

I nodded, continuing on towards my apartment building. "You're definitely right about that. But I'm not even quite certain that those guys even know what I look like. Maybe I've just gotten lucky and haven't run into the same CP too many times."

"You're probably right," Leon admitted. "But still: Try not to get into too many little showdowns with the CPs. The Resistance can't lose you. You're far too valuable."

I shrugged and opened the door to the apartment complex that Leon and I lived at. "Maybe you're right. But I can't help it that I seem to attract trouble." I kept walking down the hallway that the door opened up into, seeking the stairs at the end.

Like most buildings in the city, the apartment building was made up of hallways made of brick and had an equal number of doors on each side, all of which were perfectly parallel to one another. At the end of each hallway was a series of staircases that spiraled upwards to the attic, with landings that lead to more identical platform at certain intervals. All in all, it was a pretty boring place.

"Another one?" I asked, shaking my head. I was referring to a door that was bricked off. That meant that for one reason or another, the former family no longer lived in that room. Nobody was quite sure why the room was bricked off rather than just used to house another family. But we probably didn't want to know. There were even some entire apartment buildings that just had the front door bricked off; meaning everyone in it was dead, or worse: they were a Combine.

Once we reached the end of the hallway, Leon and I said our goodbyes to each other as he entered his apartment. After he had closed the door behind him, I began climbing the rusted old stairs until I got to the third floor where my home was. I quickly opened the door and got inside my two room apartment.

I gasped in surprise when I saw something not at all human in my apartment, but then relaxed when I saw what it was. The creature was hunchbacked and slightly humanoid. It was a biped that had two arms with two fingers and two legs that with feet that came to a point, with an odd two fingered limb protruding from its chest. The figure had a fleshy skin color, perhaps the kind you might associate with something undead or rotting. It also had a big red eye in the center of its head, as well as two small tubes, probably used for hearing, on either side of the head, which extended from its body on a neck about twice the length of a human neck.

This creature was what is known as a Vortigaunt. They were released unto Earth along with several other aliens around twenty years ago. I don't know all the details, but a scientific corporation that is now out of business called Black Mesa performed an experiment that opened a portal to an alien world called Xen. Vortigaunts, along with several other species, came to Earth through that portal.

The opening of that portal resulted in an event called the Portal Storm, which opened up many more portals across the world. I was too young to remember at the time, being only a toddler, but I think that's how the Combine got here. It's odd that the Combine were unleashed by a former Black Mesa scientist called Gordon Freeman, who now happens to be something of a hero amongst the Resistance.

Anyways, the point is that once the Vortigaunts met a Black Mesa scientist named Eli Vance, they sided with the humans, and are now functioning members of the Resistance.

"Hello, Vort," I greeted the alien. "What are you doing here?"

"Greetings, Joshua Parker. I am here merely to repair some of the buildings anti-Combine defenses. I had heard that some of the turrets had been malfunctioning. Yours seems to be intact." The Vortigaunt said, pausing briefly before adding, "Oh yes, of course. The Melissa Brunel wishes me to inform you that she had some business to take care of and that she should be back soon."

I nodded. "Thank you, Vort. Will that be all?"

"Yes. I am done here."

"Well, see you later, then. Good luck fixing those turrets,"

"The Joshua Parker is most kind. I will accept your luck with pride." And on that note, the alien left the room.

Although a bit odd, I really appreciated the help that the Vorts offered to us. I was always worried that the Combine would catch them wandering around our apartment building, which doubled as a Resistance HQ, though.

Casting any worries aside, I instead focused on the bag of food I had brought home. I removed all the fruit that I had obtained and began washing them off one by one in the sink of our apartment.

Speaking of our apartment, it was just a run down, small, two roomed place my girlfriend and I call home. One room was our kitchen/living room. It had a couch with a TV near it, along with a sink, a table for eating at, a stove, a microwave, several cabinets and a toaster. The other room was our bedroom, which just had a bed, a dresser, and a pathetically small closet-like space that was the bathroom.

Not too long into my washing of the fruits, I heard the sound of the door unlocking. "Hey there, baby," My favorite voice in the world greeted me from behind.

I spun around to see the beauty that was Melissa. She had short, partially curly red hair and hazel eyes. She had a smile on her face, and her eyes shone with happiness. It filled me with warmth to know that the happiness was caused by seeing me.

"Hey there, darling," I said, returning the smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," She replied, sitting down at our table. "And you?"

"Doing pretty good," I told her. Then I gestured to the food on the kitchen counter. "And I got some new food today."

She smiled brightly at this. "That's great! I was almost afraid we'd have to risk eating Combine-supplied food."

"So, what have _you_ been up to today?" I asked. "A Vort told me that you had some business to attend to. What was it?"

"I met with some of the rebels just out of town. They gave me a bag of weapons to bring for the armory here. The transaction went off without a hitch."

"Great job," I complimented. "I just hope we don't need the-" I was cut off by Melissa standing up suddenly and seemingly inspecting part of my face. She brushed her hand across one of my cheeks gently. A small sensation of pain shot through me.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Just a little run in with the Combine," I explained. "I'm fine. Honest. In the end, they left me alone. But I wasn't able to get there before they killed an innocent for probably no reason…"

Melissa nodded and kissed my cheek softly. I held her close to me and rubbed her back slowly. "I hate them so much…" I murmured.

"I know, Josh. We all do…we all do…"

Later that evening, Melissa and I lay in our bed silently. The two of us were now out of our mandatory clothing, and were instead in our nightwear. I was shirtless and wore only a pair of shorts, while Melissa was wearing an old nightgown that had belonged to her mother before the Combine took over.

My love's head was rested on my chest and I was rubbing her back slowly. Moments like these were the only truly peaceful times in my life. Times when I can focus on Melissa and nothing else. In the back of my mind, it also reminded me of why I hated the Combine more than any other reason, though. If it weren't for them, Melissa and I would be married and would have started a family by now. More than anything, that dream gave us something worth fighting for.

My thoughts were disrupted by the pleasant feeling of lips at my neck. I shuddered slightly and smiled. I gazed down at Melissa, who was now gazing up at me with anticipation.

"You know what we haven't done in awhile…?" She asked, trailing off suggestively.

I chuckled and kissed her long and passionately. "I can take a guess," I replied. However, before I was able to make that guess, the door to our apartment slammed open.

"CPs!" Leon's voice called into the room. "They're here, and they're armed. Lots of them. They know who we are, now!"

I quickly hopped out of bed and grabbed a shirt and jeans, as well as the signature green rebel jacket. On the shoulder of the jacket was a pad with the Resistance's symbol on it: The scientific/mathematical symbol for lambda.

Melissa quickly did the same. "Come on!" She exclaimed. "We have to get to the armory. With all the weapons we have down there as well as the defenses the Vorts have set up, I know we can hold them off."

They had found us. It was time. We either held our own and resisted the Civil Protection forces, or the Resistance in City 129 would be crushed before it could ever truly begin.

Yours truly,

Joshua Parker


End file.
